Method of constructing a protective coating for merchant or war ships



Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT v OFFICE. 4

SHOICHI I-IA'I'TORI AND TERUZO- TSUBOI, 0F 'I'OYOTAMA-GUN, TOKYO-EU, AND I'IARO HORIUCHI, OF KANDA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTIN G A PROTECTIVE COATING FOR MERCHANT OR WAR SHIPS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, SHoIoHI HATIORI, TERUZO TsUBoI, and ITARo HORIUOHI, subjects of the Emperor of Japan, residing at N o. 182, Oaza-nishiokubo, Okubo-machi, Toyotama-gun, Tokyo-fu, and N o. 75, Oazatsunohazu, Yodobashi-machi, Toyotamagun, Tokyo-fa, and N o. 7, Kajicho, Kandaku, Tokyo, Japan, respectively, have invented new Methods of Constructing 21. Protective Coating for Merchant or War Ships, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of constructing a rotective coating over the surface of the sides and the bottom of a merchant or war ship especially below the water line, by covering the said surfaces with scales of thin, small, enameled, iron plates, the edges of the plates overlapping one another at the seams and being enameled at the joints so as to form one continuous sheet of iron plate, and the object of this invention is to provide a coating over a ships bottom to protect it from the corrosive action of sea water and to prevent the sticking thereto of shell fish, etc.

To carry the invention into practice, the surface of the bottom and up to the waterline of the vessel is studded with a plurality of ordinary bolts, the threaded ends of which project outwardly. Said bolts may be secured to the surface of the vessel by soldering by means of oxy-acetylene flame. The entire surface is then covered with asphalt varnish. A plurality of iron plates, enamelled with a composition hereinafter described, are each provided with an opening at each corner and at the center, and the bolts are so disposed on the surface of the vessel that one will pass through each of said openings, the plates being preferably placed so as to overlap each other approximately five centimeters. Nuts are then screwed on the bolts and tightened so as to firmly clamp the plates to the surface of the vessel. A coating of the composition above referred to and useful Improvements in Application filed March 4, 1922. Serial No. 541,227.

is then applied to the joints where the plates overlap and is melted by means of oxyacetylene flame.

An example of the enamel material for the iron plates is given below Parts. Red leadm 8O Feldspar 33 Silica powder 15 Cryolite 5 Sodium carbonate 8 Borax 25 Arsenic oxide 10 Copper oxide 7 Sodium nitrate 6 These ingredients are first fused together and then pulverized into fine powder.

In the ordinary one, the first step consists in cleansing thin iron plates of a suitable size and preferably rectangular in shape with dilute sulphuric acid or by drochloric acid, to rid them of their rust. The plates thus cleansed are coated with the enamel composition prepared as above described, and are subjected to heat in a furnace, and the composition melts and forms a uniform coating over the plates.

The coating thus formed is not affected by the corrosive action of sea water or air nor is it subject to attack by organisms, for even should some organisms such as shell-fish, sea weed, or the like stick thereto, which will occur only very rarely, the organic acids'secreted by these organisms will act upon the lead, arsenious acid, or copper contained in the coating and melt them, thus producing a very strong poison which will quickly exterminate them. Thus the ships bottom is always kept quite clean. When damage. occurs, in any part, repair of that part can be easily effected, and this is indeed a valuable part of the present invention.

We claim:

A protective coating for ships, comprising composition of the present enameling process, like the a plurality of bolts secured to the surface of other, and an enamel composition fused in a the ship and having their threaded ends eX- continuous coating over said scale plates. tending outwardly, a plurality of enamelled In testimony whereof We have signed our 10 scale plates each having a plurality of opennames to this specification.

ings therethrough for the passage of some SHOIGHI HATTORI.

of said bolts, nuts for securing the plates on TERUZO TSUBOI. said bolts in overlapping relation to each ITARO HORIUCHI. 

